Mint Chocolate Fudge Brownies

by Beth on November 19, 2008

As much as I love to make things from scratch, I?m usually a brownies-from-a-box kind of girl. Grab a box of Betty Crocker mix, throw some sort of chocolate chips on top, and you have a warm, chocolate-y dessert with minimal effort in less than 45 minutes.

I was swayed to attempt making brownies from scratch after my friend Meg brought these amazing chocolate mint brownies for dessert. These brownies require more effort then their boxed counterparts, but resulting dessert is certainly worth it. Since we?ll be visiting with friends for dinner tonight, I opted to make a special dessert treat.

The dense fudge-like brownie is covered with a sweet peppermint frosting and topped with a layer of hardened chocolate. The resulting dessert is more like a piece of candy than a typical brownie. While the final dessert product doesn?t need to be refrigerated, I prefer to store the brownies in the refrigerator and serve them cold. Served straight out of the fridge, these brownies have the taste and consistency of a decadent slice of fudge.

When I received a copy of this chocolate mint brownie recipe from my friend, she had made a few alterations to the original. I have found that her modified measurements (more milk in the frosting, and more chips and butter in the topping) result in smooth, spreadable frosting and enough chocolate topping to easily cover the entire 9×9 surface. Without the changes, I would imagine that the frosting would be too stiff to spread easily and there wouldn?t be enough chocolate topping to cover the brownies. Besides, is it ever possible to have too much chocolate?

Brownies
1. Heat the oven to 350? and grease a 9-inch square baking pan. (lining with foil and coating the foil in cooking spray works well too)
2. For the brownies, place the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, stir, and microwave for 1 minute more. Stir until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs.
4. Stir in the chocolate and the vanilla extract.
5. Stir in the flour and salt until thoroughly combined. Pour into the prepared pan, then bake for 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for at least 1 hour.

Mint Frosting
1. Cream the butter and confectioners’ sugar.
2. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until it is smooth and spreadable.
3. Beat in the peppermint extract.
4. Frost the cooled brownies, cover, and chill in refrigerator for at least1 hour.

Chocolate Topping
1. Pour the chips into a microwave-safe bowl, add the butter, and microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until the chocolate melts.
2. Stir until smooth.
3. Pour the chocolate over the brownies and smooth it with a knife. Refrigerate for 45 minutes or until the coating hardens.

Once the coating has hardened, cut the brownies into 24 pieces. When packaging brownies, place wax paper between layers of brownies to prevent sticking.

Nadine – If you decide to make them, I’d love to hear how they turn out! Also, if you’re looking for food gift ideas, I’ll be posting a recipe for homemade peppermint bark this weekend. It’s so easy to make, tastes great and looks pretty.